One, two, three
by Monchy
Summary: Everything in life is a sequence of steps. Slash! Just reposting...


Just reposting here, given that erased this because apparently it was underrated. Then again, I never was a big fan of this story myself... but anyway, just reposting...

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**One, two, three**

Sparring with Obi-wan had became a costume that Anakin didn't want to stop. He liked to be with his former master inside a room, hold a lightsaber between his hands and move to the slow bit of a fight. Sometimes he won, sometimes Obi-wan won, sometimes tiredness won. But the important part was that it was the two of them, Obi-wan and Anakin, master and apprentice, a symbolic battle that didn't need a winner.

Obi-wan had a very defensive way of fighting, while Anakin had a more aggressive one. Since he had started practicing katas with his master, he had used the learned techniques to move roughly through battles. Obi-wan was always surprised with how easily Anakin twisted his defensive steps to make them become attack strategies, and he always told him not to be imprudent in front of a powerful enemy. Anakin had started listening when he had lost his arm to Dooku's saber.

Nonetheless, Obi-wan enjoyed the aggressive way in which Anakin faced his enemies. Qui-gon had taught him to be prudent, and he had been, but Anakin liked to mark the rhythm of every battle, twisting the situation until making it his. Anakin liked to fight, and Obi-wan liked to fight with Anakin, next or against him.

That afternoon session was being specially long. They had just gotten back from a mission in the Outer Rim after months without seeing Coruscant and it seemed they wanted to spend their time in those activities they hadn't been able to share for a long time. Obi-wan breathed heavily and blocked Anakin's saber, pushing him a couple of steps back.

"Tired?", asked Anakin with a half smile. Anakin was and the signs were visible: the slightly coloured cheeks, the chest ascending and descending furiously to the rhythm of his breathing, the upper part of his clothing carelessly abandoned on the floor.

"Are you?", both men moved in circles, eyes facing each other, lowered weapons, waiting for the next attack. They both knew Anakin would be the first one to attack.

"Not at all, but perhaps you are too old for so much exercise, master", Obi-wan's answer limited to arching an eyebrow; he was waiting for the moment in which the younger one would launch against him.

It was seconds later, when Obi-wan raised his hand to put the hair sticking to his forehead away. Anakin moved fast and the dance started again. Attack, jump, block, step back, attack, move, block, jump. One, two, three, with rhythm, don't stop, up, down, block, attack, step back, sweat, tiredness, steps, one, two, three. Anakin didn't see the mistake clearly, but Obi-wan watched the movement as if it was done with a slow camera. The little move from the younger one that, on a real battle, would have cost him his life.

Obi-wan's saber fell to the floor with a hollow sound, his eyes moving fast to Anakin's confused ones. Anakin coughed slightly, stood straight and licked his lips ignoring the salty taste of sweat.

"I believe you win", he whispered. Obi-wan just stared at him, still breathing fast and with his features contracted in a undefined expression.

"It's been a stupid mistake, Anakin", Obi-wan's voice was low and husky, his lungs still asking for air. Anakin frowned, confused at hearing those words coming from Obi-wan. What was going on? Since when was a mistake lectured like that?

"I know, Ob–"

"You would have been killed", Obi-wan's expression was still indescribable, "you would have been killed because of a stupid mistake"

"But this is just practice", groaned Anakin, upset, "I've made worst mistakes, since when do you act like this?"

"Since… since… are you even listening to me? It's been a beginner mistake, I doubt you want to loose your life on such a basic step"

"I wouldn't like to loose my life on a complicated step either", he crossed his arms over his naked chest after throwing his saber across the room, "what the hell is going on with you?"

"You should practice it, prac–"

"Again? It's a basic step, I won't repeat it, I'll just be more careful"

"Can you listen to me for one time in your life?"

"You're being stubborn, Obi-wan! You get so upset because of such a stupid wrong movement?"

"A stupid movement that could have cost you your life!"

"Just like much more complicated ones! I'm a knight and I won't practice useless steps just because my old master decides that I'm going to loose my life because of an imprudence"

"An imprudence cost you your arm, and an imprudence will cost you your life", affirmed Obi-wan almost breathless, "as far as I care you can do whatever you want with your life, knight Skywalker"

"What the hell is this all–", but Obi-wan had already left the room, closing the door strongly.

Anakin went to the door, wanting to follow Obi-wan and ask for some explanations, but he stopped seconds before reaching it, hitting the wall with his fist strongly.

"Damn it, Obi-wan!", he kept the fist on the wall for a few seconds, breathing heavily and waiting for the fury to leave him. With a breath stronger that the rest, he picked his weapon from the floor and got into position for one of the most basic katas: the one he had just gotten wrong, the one that would have cost him his life and the one that had made Obi-wan react like that.

He started the movement strongly and in a fast rhythm. One, two, three, one, two, three. He continued with and obsessive repetition, no getting it wrong once. One, two, three, start again, one, two, three, again, one, two, three, again. Anakin didn't understand it, he couldn't comprehend what had made Obi-wan act like that.

Anakin, as any other padawan starting his training, had made a lot of mistakes. He had fallen, he had lost his weapon, he had stepped over his own feet, he hadn't paid attention to defence. One, two, three, again. With every mistake, every wrong step, Obi-wan had offered him a smile and had told him to try again. His abilities to use the saber hadn't taken long to show; in nor much time, the weapon had became another part of his body, moving with him fluidly and easily, fitting in his hands as if it was the only place for it to be. From the beginning, one, two, three, faster, don't stop. Of course, there had been more mistakes, but Anakin had developed an unique style, a mark, an aggressiveness to face his enemies. Obi-wan had smiled, satisfied.

One, two, three, sweat, tiredness, one, two, three, again. Obi-wan's reaction had only changed one time, an afternoon in which a sixteen year old Anakin had made numerous basic mistakes because he hadn't been well rested. Adolescence was always a hard time for mentors, since his padawans found a new life on night clubs, alcohol and a fun world they hadn't seen before. Obi-wan hadn't cared when Anakin had gone out late, as long as his training wasn't jeopardized by it. Start again, breath, one, two, three, inhale, one, exhale, two, inhale, three, exhale, again, again, again. Again. Anakin hadn't had much sleep that night and his mistakes were showing it over and over again.

"Again", Obi-wan had said.

"But master, it's late and–"

"You will repeat it", Anakin remembered Obi-wan nodding and frowning, "you will repeat it until tiredness doesn't let you stand up"

"Mast–"

"When you face someone he won't care if you are well rested or not, Anakin, You will repeat it. From the beginning, until you can't keep going"

Anakin had repeated katas over and over again. One, two, three, start again, one, two, three, again. He had repeated them feeling sweat going through his back, feeling his breathing get fast and heavy, feeling tiredness became pain and extend through his arms and legs until trembling had made him fall to the floor. One, two, three, again.

"Again", Obi-wan's eyes hadn't left him for a second, but Anakin had forgotten about him, getting surprised when hearing his voice.

He had stood up on shaky legs and he had taken the weapon between his hands, but it had slipped between his fingers, falling to the floor and rolling until it had crashed against a wall. His knees had failed him sending him to the floor again, but he had tried to get up again. Again, one, two, three, again.

"It's alright, padawan", Obi-wan had walked towards him and had cradled his body against his, caressing his sweaty back slowly, "I'm sorry", Anakin remembered feeling surprised, he remembered having expected a lecture, fury, but not that, "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry padawan"

Obi-wan had repeated the same until Anakin had fallen asleep between his arms. Anakin had woken up a day later between the sheets of his bed and he had never loosen sleep again.

One, two, three, from the beginning, one, two, three, again, again, again, pain, trembling, one, two, three, don't stop, you can't stop, you could die, one, two, three, one, two, three, one, two, three, one, tw–

"Enough, Anakin", Anakin stopped the movement immediately, fast. He took his hair away from his face and looked at Obi-wan, whose presence he hadn't notice. When had he appeared? How much time had gone by?

"I can keep going", he took again the initial position and continued. One, two, three, again.

"You don't have to", one, two, three, repeat, one, two, three, "Anakin, please stop", the master walked towards him, stopping his arm strongly, "stop"

Anakin allowed the weapon to fall to the floor and his body to kneel, giving into the pain that went through his trained legs. Obi-wan kneeled in front of him and surrounded him with his arms, burying one hand inAnakin's hair when he rested his forehead on his shoulder. Obi-wan caressed his back slowly, incapable of drying the accumulated sweat, which produced a natural glow to the tanned skin.

"Why?", Anakin swallowed hard after asking the question, trying to gain his breath.

"That–that was the same mistake that cost Qui-gon his life", whispered Obi-wan against his ear, never stopping his caresses, "a basic mistake, a beginner mistake", Anakin laughed softly, coughing then. Obi-wan pressed him more against his body.

"It's always about Qui-gon, right? Always...", he tried to laugh again, but all he could manage was a low sound behind his strangled panting, "it's always about Qui-gon"

"Anakin", Obi-wan took both hands to Anakin's face, making him raise it, "Anakin", Anakin's slightly long hair was sticking to his sweaty forehead, his cheeks were blushed, his lips reddened and parted to help his ragged breathing and thick tears fell through his face, "Anakin–"

"It's always about him, right, Obi-wan? Always, always…"

"No, Anakin… it's just that, that–"

"What, Obi-wan, what?"

"I can't loose you, not you. I can't watch you die, do you understand? I know it's shellfish and inappropriate, but you can't die. You have to stay, for me"

"I've spent years training for you Obi-wan. I've been years living in the shadow of a dead man, but I would live them again, for you. It's always about him"

"It's about you, Anakin", Obi-wan pressed Anakin's face between his hands unconsciously, taking the dry tears away with his thumbs, "you are the one that is alive, and it is you who must not die"

"Shut up!", Anakin's scream was followed by his arms taking Obi-wan's hands away, "don't lie, I don't need you to lie to me… I'll just keep practicing"

"Anakin, don't be stubborn!", but Anakin was already up again, saber in hands, initial position. One, two, three, steps, breath, again, one, two, three, you must live, one, two, three, again. He would repeat it, he would repeat it until it killed him, "stop, dammit, stop!", Obi-wan stood up and stopped Anakin's movements, who couldn't fight back due to pain, "you can't keep going!"

"I don't care!", Anakin fell to the floor, and Obi-wan kneeled in front of him again, still holding him, "I will practice, again and again and again, just for you, so nobody can kill me, again, just for you"

"Anakin…", Anakin looked up, and this time Obi-wan's face was the one covered in tears, "you don't have to"

"Yes, I do!"

"I'm sorry!", Obi-wan wrapped his arms around Anakin's form, who allowed all of his weight to fall on Obi-wan, "I'm sorry I hurt you, Anakin, I'm so sorry… I never meant to"

"Can you just hold me?", Obi-wan pressed himself more against Anakin's body, searching for his eyes.

"I'll hold you forever. Just you, Anakin, nobody else"

"Just me, just me, again and again, just m–", Obi-wan's lips covered the voice with a soft touch, a caress so light that Anakin would have thought it was fake if his lips weren't still feeling it.

Anakin leaned forward almost at the same time Obi-wan leaned back, finding the other one's lips more securely this time. Obi-wan's lips were soft, and when he parted them to allow entrance to an aggressive tongue, Anakin couldn't stop thinking that kissing Obi-wan was completely different from what he had thought and yet completely the same.

The first kiss was soft and slow, the next ones more urgent. Anakin's lips tasted like sweat and everything was natural and perfect. Right. A slow sequence that needed no steps, no preparation and in which there couldn't be mistakes. One, two, three, repeat for the rest of your life, until you die in the arms of your lover.

When they separated, minutes, hours or maybe days later, Anakin let his head fall on Obi-wan's shoulder again, burying his face between his neck and his shoulder.

"I think I'm going to pass out", whispered Anakin with a husky voice.

"Let's just go to sleep"

Anakin slept for a day, maybe more, giving his body the needed rest to compensate the physical effort it had been submitted to. Obi-wan slept only a few hours, and he spent the rest of the time hugging Anakin's body against his. One, two, three, again.


End file.
